After two closely contested sets in which Florida narrowly pulled out victories, Ole Miss didn’t make things any easier after the break.
Tied at 25 in the third frame, setter Allie Monserez tipped a ball over the net to get Florida within game point.
Then, head coach Mary Wise decided to pull out a seldom used tactic.
Taking out 6-foot-4 All-American middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan, Wise subbed in junior defensive specialist Samantha Dubiel, a 5-foot-6 player with only 14 digs through the first 20 games of the season.
After UF’s serve, Dubiel hit the ground for a diving save and helped set up a game-clinching kill for hitter Carli Snyder.
“It came down to a huge play at the end,” Wise said in a release. “Sam Dubiel stepped in and made the play of the night on match point.”
The Gators (19-2, 9-1 SEC) faced a resilient Ole Miss (13-10, 2-8 SEC) team throughout all three sets, never winning a set by more than three points en route to UF’s 3-0 sweep.
Rebels’ outside hitter Kate Gibson had her way with the Florida defense, tallying a game-high 20 kills on the night. The Gators allowed a .200 hitting percentage, the highest since an Oct. 2 match against Tennessee.
After the two closely contested sets to start the match, Ole Miss went on a commanding run to take a 17-11 lead. With a deep deficit to overcome, the Gators needed a big run.
That’s when the trio of Alhassan, Snyder and senior Alex Holston took over.
The three combined to get 17 kills in the third set, giving the team just enough to take it to that crucial Dubiel dig.
The Gators saw their two middle blockers, Alhassan and freshman Rachel Kramer, carry much of the load for the offense through the first two sets. Alhassan had a team-high 14 kills and Kramer picked her attacks wisely, amassing seven kills on a .700 hitting percentage.
“Rhamat carries us all night against an Ole Miss team that played very well,” Wise said.
Florida gets a day off before heading back to the Lemerand Center to end a four-match home stand against LSU on Sunday at noon.
Contact Skyler Lebron at Slebron@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @skylerlebron.
Rhamat Alhassan (center) jumps for a kill during Florida's 3-0 win over Ole Miss on Oct. 28, 2016, in the Lemerand Center.
